Identity
by Raya Light
Summary: Oneshot. 'Code Name wa Sailor V' story. Set at the very end of the manga which provides a lead in to SailorMoon manga, Minako deals with the death of Ace and her new destiny. Written for an image challenge at sm monthly LJ challenge community.


Title: Identity  
Author: Raya  
SM Monthly Challenge Theme 14JAN06: **Image** (_Rainy Window Hand Print _- Noah Grey)  
Genre: Drama  
Version: Manga (End of CODE NAME ha SAILOR V, beginning of Pretty Soldier SAILORMOON.)  
Rating: G

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I have merely borrowed them, like dolls, to play with for a while. All text marked by asterisks () was written/drawn by Takeuchi-sensei, translated by GRAND THEFT FANSUB and ANViL 3133T, and has been used without permission.

**Identity**

She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the steaming hot spray of water. She shivered in spite of its heat. No matter how hot she made it, it never seemed to touch the cold, frozen lump in her chest.

"Ace..." she whispered. She shivered again as the events earlier in the day ran through her mind once more. The attack. The anticipated rescue. The betrayal. The memories of a kingdom long gone. The memory that lingered the longest, however, was the most recent one and the one she wanted most to forget.

_I am Adonis... We were supposed to love one another. I am your mystical lover... _ The sign of Venus burns brightly on his forehead. _But you do not know me... In my previous life, I had no rank... I was born into this world again, and raised to the status where I can confront you! There is only one destiny!_ Adonis falls, blasted away by her defense _Yes... there is only one destiny. My path ends without ever reaching you..._ Sky blue eyes stare into dark grey as Adonis dangles precariously in Venus' clutch.

Minako shivered as she remembered the pain and longing in that gaze.

Suddenly, the Ace of Hearts flies up between them, and then shreds itself before her eyes. _I'll tell your final love fortune. Your love will be hopeless for all eternity. What's wrong? You should look happier!_ His body begins to crumble into dust before her eyes. _Now you can go on living without having to torment yourself over the ultimate choice - your love or your duty. Your fate is to continue fighting._

Suddenly, a sob broke free and tears began to flow. '_Your fate is to continue fighting._'

_'Venus..._' The remembered image of her beloved Princess flashed through her mind once more. It was followed by the memory of her fellow protectors. '_Venus!_'

For a moment, her head reeled, and she reached out to catch herself on the glass door of the hotel shower stall. She blinked her eyes open as she regained her balance, and pulled her hand away. The image it left behind caught her eye before she turned away. She watched as droplets of water slowly began to fall away from it. They almost looked like long streams of green blood falling away from her hand print. She shuddered at the thought.

The perfect hand print reminded her of a science fiction movie she had seen recently. In it, the military had used hand prints and eye prints to identify people and open security doors. Turning her attention away from the trailing beads of water, she studied the hand print itself, and looked for any defining characteristic as if it could tell her who she really was. '_Aino Minako? Sailor V? Sailor Venus? Princess Venus? Who am I? Who am I?_' The hand print had no answer.

As it disappeared, she shivered again and turned abruptly back to the spray. '_Venus..._' the Princess called again urgently in her memories. As the scene in her mind showed the white haired girl falling away, she instinctively reached out. '_Help me, Venus!_'

And finally, she felt something snap back into place in her mind. The cold lump in her chest shrank, although she knew it would never disappear completely. But, the greater love that she remembered filled her mind and made it seem inconsequential. '_Venus. I am Venus, now called Minako_,' she thought, '_and I must find that most precious person. She needs my help._'

Then, with a firm nod of her head, she reached for the soap to continue her shower.


End file.
